Evin Lewis and Keemo Paul star to help Windies to series win

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Lewis’ sterling work with the bat helped the Windies to 190, before Paul bagged figures of 5/15 to help the Windies seal a 2-1 T20I series win.

Bangladesh won the toss and chose to field but it’s likely that they were left ruing that decision quickly, as Lewis and Shai Hope were in a boisterous mood. Abu Hider took a pummelling early on, dispatched for 12 from his opening over before Lewis lay into him with four sixes from his second over. It was brutal from the left-hander, dispatching the bowler down the ground with unerring ease.

Things got even worse for Hider from the next over, bowled by Mehidy Hasan. A boundary from Hope from the first ball brought up the fifty partnership from just 3.1 overs, before Lewis continued his onslaught with a six and four. A slog-sweep from the final ball of the over travelled towards Hider at mid-wicket. Nevertheless, a chance for redemption was put down by the fast-bowler, a kick in the teeth for a Bangladesh side searching for some respite.

Lewis brought up his half-century from Shakib Al Hasan’s first delivery with a single to mid-off, reaching the landmark from just 18 deliveries. At the other end, Shai Hope wanted to get in on the act, swinging Shakib for six over long-on, before pulling a long-hop over square-leg for four. The left-arm spinner had the last laugh however, bowling Hope with a slower, flighted delivery.

Despite the end of a stellar opening partnership, Lewis’ momentum wasn’t to be stopped as Mohammad Saifuddin was treated to another monstrous Lewis six over square-leg. Keemo Paul, earning a batting promotion after an impressive knock on Thursday, departed for two, but with nine overs gone, it seemed that Lewis – unbeaten on 87 from 34 balls ­– was on track for a mightily impressive T20I century.

It wasn’t to be however, as a huge double breakthrough arrived from the most unlikely of sources. Mahmudullah was brought into the attack by Shakib in what proved to be a revelatory move, first bowling Lewis before having Shimron Hetmyer trapped on his crease for a golden duck.

Mahmudullah’s golden arm triggered an impressive fightback from the Bangladesh bowlers. After 10 overs, the Windies were 123/4, with the 200-mark well and truly in their sights. They would end on 190, Mahmudullah the star with 3/18 from his 3.2 overs, a sensational return from the middle-order batsman.

Shakib and Mustafizur Rahman were equally vital at the death, as both also finished with three wickets to their name as no-one from the Windies line-up could match the power of Lewis at the top of the order.

Bangladesh began hoping that they could replicate their batting heroics from the second T20I, but with Tamim Iqbal run-out from in the second-over, a difficult chase became a whole lot tougher.

Shackles were to be broken in the fourth over as Liton Das continued on from his antics in the previous game, dispatching Oshane Thomas for two sixes and a four, while Soumya Sarkar cut the final delivery of the over cover-point for a maximum.

Amidst the carnage of the 30-run over, play was stopped as the Windies appealed unsuccessfully for a no-ball to be overturned, with replays showing that Thomas’ foot was behind the line. Liton was caught at mid-off, but remained at the crease as the Windies appeal came after they had viewed television replays.

Bangladesh appeared to be firmly on track to launch a competitive chase, before Fabian Allen struck twice from his first over. Soumya departed first, finding Cottrell at long-on, before Allen claimed the huge scalp of Shakib the very next ball, as Cottrell was provided with some more catching practice. The departure of Mushfiqur Rahim to Paul from the very next over spelled further doom for the home side.

With regular wickets, the run-rate slowed down dramatically, and Mahmudullah was to be Paul’s second victim, a tame shot to Carlos Brathwaite at mid-off ending his knock on just 11. At 80/5 from eight overs, the Windies were firmly in the ascendancy.

Paul’s night got better as he took the wickets of Liton (43) and Haque (0) to claim his first five-wicket haul in international cricket. Mehidy (19) and Hider (22*) offered some respectability to the Bangladesh score but the home side were bowled out for 140 to finish proceedings.